Legislation designating a section of highway in St. Louis County as the “Cloria Brown Memorial Highway” was signed into law by Missouri Governor Mike Parson Monday afternoon in Jefferson City.
Lawmakers from both parties and both the House and Senate packed the governor’s Statehouse office for the bill signing ceremony. Several former lawmakers, including State Reps. Kathie Conway, R-St. Charles, and Diane Franklin, R-Camdenton, also attended.
Former State Rep. Cloria Brown, R-Mehlville, served three Missouri House terms and died last March after battling cancer.
Governor Parson says the bill signing is bigger than highway signs.
“But really what is going to be important today is how she lived, what she accomplished, the goals she had in mind, with the representation she made of her family,” Parson says.
Governor Parson describes Brown as a dedicated, compassionate public servant.
The bill designates a section of heavily-traveled Lindbergh Boulevard from I-55 to Lin Ferry Drive in St. Louis County as the “Cloria Brown Memorial Highway.”
House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, describes Brown as a special person who fought for the most vulnerable and exploited.
“Not only did I get to serve with Cloria, I also had requested that she serve on my (human) trafficking task force and so I spent time traveling around the state with her and listening to the stories that the victims told us,” says Haahr.
House sponsor State Rep. Patricia Pike, R-Adrian, says Brown’s legacy is her work against human trafficking.
Lawmakers in both parties praised Brown during Monday’s bill signing ceremony.
State Sen. Scott Sifton, D-Affton, who sponsored the Senate bill, praises Brown’s work ethic and her compassion, says Brown helped many Bosnian War refugees in south St. Louis County.
“Just in the two years that I served with her in the House (2011 and 2012), I saw her time and again stand up and stick out her neck for her new American constituency in a way I don’t think everybody would have,” Sifton tells Capitol reporters.
Sifton also says Brown worked hard at the Capitol and in her south St. Louis County district. Sifton says Brown attended every function for organizations such as the Affton and Lemay Chambers of Commerce, and the Lemay Child and Family Center.
The law will take effect on August 28. Under the legislation, private donations will fund the highway signs and crews from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will place them.
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